


Getting Your Priorities Straight

by PepperF



Series: British Museum [6]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-12
Updated: 2011-07-12
Packaged: 2017-10-21 08:11:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/222957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PepperF/pseuds/PepperF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm not waiting around to be sold off to the highest bidder."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting Your Priorities Straight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [surreallis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/surreallis/gifts).



> British Museum fic! I bet you thought I'd forgotten. surreallis requested Teal'c or Teal'c/Vala; room 23.

As soon as the guard's back was turned, Vala and Teal'c looked down at the chains that bound them to one another and – more tiresomely – to the floor.

"Okay, they've taken all my picks," whispered Vala. "Anything you can do?"

Teal'c glanced at the guard, and then tugged experimentally at the links. "They are most immutable."

"Wonderful." Vala cast her eyes around their cell, looking for possible tools. Unfortunately, there was nothing but bare and chilly stone, and the straw that was scattered sparsely on the floor looked a little too mouldy for use as a lockpick. All in all, it was a pretty dismal place. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm not waiting around to be sold off to the highest bidder. Guard! Oh, gua-aard!"

The guard, it turned out, was insufficiently familiar with the classics for his own good. Teal'c moved his unconscious body out of immediate sight, and patted him down for the keys. "Hm."

"No keys?"

"None," he confirmed, frowning. He tried pulling at the chains again, but they were very solid. He looked up at Vala, who pursed her lips.

"Let me have a look, see if he has anything I can use," she said, pushing him aside and starting her own search of the guard's body.

Teal'c turned his attention to the more pressing problem. Being chained to Vala was an inconvenience, but being chained to the floor was a problem. Doubling the chains around his hands for grip, Teal'c planted his feet firmly either side of the place where the chain met the floor, bent his knees, and heaved with all his strength. He might have been imagining it, but it felt as though it moved... yes, iron was grinding against stone, and Teal'c tensed, pulling harder, muscles straining...

...And with a loud report, the stone gave way, and Teal'c stumbled back, free.

"Aha!" said Vala, and Teal'c felt the chain go loose. He gave her a disgruntled look as she dropped her end of the chain and rubbed at her wrist. Vala shrugged. "Well, I'm very impressed with your prowess, Muscles," she said. "Shall I pick your lock now?"

"In there! Quick! The slaves are escaping!"

"Or maybe later," she amended.

Teal'c slung the end of the chain over his shoulder and they fled through the door, drawing calls and whistles as they raced down the stretch of cells and away from the babble of voices at the entrance to the auction house. At the far end, they paused, looking wildly around for options.

"Window," said Vala, pointing upwards.

"Cells," said Teal'c, pointing to the levers that operated the cell doors.

Vala nodded her approval. "Good thinking. In the confusion, it'll be much easier for us to get away." Teal'c gave her a look. "And we're helping these poor people, it's very noble, etcetera, etcetera," she added.

Teal'c pulled a lever.

\---

At the edge of town, the sounds of pursuit grew louder, and after a quick, silent discussion, Teal'c and Vala threw themselves through the door of one of the impoverished-looking dwellings, slammed the door, and threw themselves up against it, listening.

There was a gasp from behind them, and when they turned to look, a woman pulled a small child against her skirts, covering his eyes. She stared back at them, looking terrified.

"It's okay," said Vala. "We won't hurt you." The woman flinched, cowering away as if Vala had threatened to strike her. Vala looked at Teal'c. "I'd offer her some money, but I'm a little short right now..."

"You will come to no harm," said Teal'c, his voice low and reassuring. He held the woman's gaze for a long moment, and eventually she nodded. She moved back into a corner and sat on a low stool, the child still hidden in her skirts.

"You have to teach me how you do that," said Vala. Teal'c gave her an enigmatic look, and then pressed his ear to the door again.

A few minutes later, the pursuit passed, and some minutes after that, they decided it would be safe enough to leave. "Our thanks," said Teal'c, and nodded gravely at the woman. Still silent, she nodded back, and they slipped out of her door.

"We should head for the woods," said Vala.

"Agreed."

 _Click_.

Teal'c and Vala spun around, instinctively recognizing the sound of a weapon. For a moment, they all stood there – and then Vala put a hand to her heart, which was pounding rapidly.

"Gods, you startled me. You shouldn't creep up behind people like that!"

Daniel released his weapon to clap a hand over Cam's eyes. "Hey!" protested Cam. Sam, meanwhile, was already shrugging out of her pack, and began to riffle through it, no doubt looking for her spare clothes.

Cam tugged Daniel's hand away and gave him a glare. Daniel shrugged, and dropped to his knees, taking off his own pack and delving inside. Cam turned his attention back to Teal'c and Vala.

"So, uh... you guys left in a real hurry, huh?" he said.

Vala rolled her eyes and looked at Teal'c, standing there as naked as she, and equally as unembarrassed. It wasn't as though she hadn't noticed – he was gorgeous, after all – but she really hadn't had time to stop and think about it. For the others, though, the first priority seemed to be finding them some clothes, even before they ran for the safety of the woods. "You were right," she said. "The Tau'ri really do have hangups about nudity, don't they?"

Teal'c nodded, his eyes twinkling.

\---

END.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this statue](http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/m/marble_statue_of_aphrodite.aspx).


End file.
